Working with Widgets in WordPress

Today I’m going to show you how to manage your wordpress widgets- we’re going back to the basics ;)

The wordpress widget systems allows you to drag and drop your widgets and essentially ‘re-arrange’ them until your heart is content. You can also have widgets in different areas beside your sidebar(s)- header, footer, below posts, etc. The themes I create allow for many widget areas, but I’m going to focus on the primary sidebar today.

Let’s take a look at what we’re working with.

Using Widgets

Log into wordpress and go to

Appearance -> Widgets

I’m assuming that this is where some of you may get confused… The widgets on the main part of the screen are all of your available widgets to use. Some of these widgets came with wordpress, some may have come with your theme, and some you may have installed on your own. WordPress displays a set of ‘default’ widgets when you install a new theme, so there will most probably be widgets in your sidebar area. To use widgets, you simply drag and drop them to your desired widget area on the right side of the screen, like so:

Each widget will come with a drop down arrow on the right side, and when clicked it will display the widget’s options.

To remove a widget, drag it from your sidebar back into the list of available widgets. It’s really that easy.

Naming Widgets

The widgets that you decide to display on your blog can also have names or ‘titles’ that show up above each widget. For example, let’s say you just dragged the ‘archives’ widget into your sidebar, but you don’t want the default title of ‘Archives’ to be displayed. No problem! Open up your archives widget, and type a new name in the title box. Click save, and refresh your blog to see the updated title.

Naming the ‘Links’ (Blogroll) Widget

Their is one widget title that I receive a lot of questions on how to change- the Blogroll. This is what WordPress will display by default:

To change the ‘blogroll’ title, you will need to go to

Links -> Link Categories

then on the right hand side, click ‘edit’ to change the name. You can also add new categories here.

When you are finished, click update. You can also take this time to add/remove any links of your choice. (Go to Links- Links)

Now, when you go back to your ‘links’ widget you should be able to choose and display the updated title.

Adding Widgets

You can download and install plugins/widgets from many places, but a good place to start is the official Plugin Directory.

You can also find me here…

Archives

Looking for Invitations?

Applause

Rachelle Leferve

"The idea of starting a blog was intimidating enough but the thought of having to translate what was in my imagination onto an actual platform was entirely paralyzing. Enter Heather. Armed with only my questionnaire, some font & color choices and a few photographs for inspiration, Heather took my vision and created a site that was beyond what I could have hoped for. Her creativity, easy of communication, efficiency and general cheery disposition made the whole process not only easy but fun! I went from being terrified of starting the blog to counting down the days until launch. I am so grateful for everything Heather has done and am genuinely excited for anyone who gets to work with her."

“The idea of starting a blog was intimidating enough but the thought of having to translate what was in my imagination onto an actual platform was entirely paralyzing. Enter Heather. Armed with only my questionnaire, some font & color choices and a few photographs for inspiration, Heather took my vision and created a site that View Full →

https://vivalaviolette.com/testimonials/rachelle-leferve/

Mette Risdal

"When I asked Heather to create a website for my Nordic Beauty line of products, I had no idea what a wonderful job she would do. The look of the site is clean, crisp, and appealing, the job was finished speedily, and the overall attraction factor is powerful. I am simply blown away by how well she understood what I wanted and translated it to a pitch-perfect website that totally captures the look and feel I was going for. Heather, I salute you…and I thank you. You are more than a website designer. You are a true artisan."

“When I asked Heather to create a website for my Nordic Beauty line of products, I had no idea what a wonderful job she would do. The look of the site is clean, crisp, and appealing, the job was finished speedily, and the overall attraction factor is powerful. I am simply blown away by how View Full →

https://vivalaviolette.com/testimonials/nordic-beauty/

Brooke White & Summer Bellessa

"I loved the fresh and colorful perspective Heather had on the Girls With Glasses site. Adding charming details and smart features added to the experience for our readers. It is a seamless extension of our brand."

“I loved the fresh and colorful perspective Heather had on the Girls With Glasses site. Adding charming details and smart features added to the experience for our readers. It is a seamless extension of our brand.”

https://vivalaviolette.com/testimonials/brooke-white-summer-bellessa/

Anna Leisemeyer

"I needed a design that would work alongside the new direction of my blog and lucky for me Runway had just launched! I was so impressed by how accommodating Heather was with all of my questions, and how quick she was to respond with any needs. I love the user friendly design of my blog, and am so thankful to have worked with Heather to get it to reflect my own personal style and aesthetic."

“I needed a design that would work alongside the new direction of my blog and lucky for me Runway had just launched! I was so impressed by how accommodating Heather was with all of my questions, and how quick she was to respond with any needs. I love the user friendly design of my blog, View Full →

https://vivalaviolette.com/testimonials/10045/

Krishann Briscoe

A couple of years ago I stumbled upon a blog designed by Heather. The moment I saw it I knew she was someone I would love to work with. After reaching out to her she answered my questions and provided me with the information I requested, ensuring I was comfortable moving forward. She always exceeds my expectations and is so much fun to work with. Heather is one of a kind. She is talented, upbeat and kindhearted — a true gem to the design world.

A couple of years ago I stumbled upon a blog designed by Heather. The moment I saw it I knew she was someone I would love to work with. After reaching out to her she answered my questions and provided me with the information I requested, ensuring I was comfortable moving forward. She always exceeds View Full →

https://vivalaviolette.com/testimonials/krishann-briscoe/

Maggie Whitley

"The knowledge Heather encompasses with WordPress is wondrous! Any request I’ve sent her way has always come back to me as complete. As a full-time blogger I truly appreciate her speediness to resolve any issue or answer a question. Heather is sweet, professional and super talented. She gets nothing but air kisses from me — I’m very appreciative of her and her talents."

“The knowledge Heather encompasses with WordPress is wondrous! Any request I’ve sent her way has always come back to me as complete. As a full-time blogger I truly appreciate her speediness to resolve any issue or answer a question. Heather is sweet, professional and super talented. She gets nothing but air kisses from me — View Full →

https://vivalaviolette.com/testimonials/maggie-whitley/

Sarah Chancey

"I gave Heather with Viva La Violette my vision, and she really just took it from there and made it even better than I imagined! Her designs are simple, eye catching, and right on target with current web design trends. I am very, very picky and attention to detail oriented, and Heather went above and beyond, until I felt 150% positive about the entire site! Every detail was taken care of. And, she made my site responsive, which is so important in today’s web trends. I recommend her services to anyone out there!!"

“I gave Heather with Viva La Violette my vision, and she really just took it from there and made it even better than I imagined! Her designs are simple, eye catching, and right on target with current web design trends. I am very, very picky and attention to detail oriented, and Heather went above and View Full →

https://vivalaviolette.com/testimonials/sarah-chancey/

Jen Pogue

"Working with Heather while she built my blog was a dream! She was completely professional, answered all of my questions, and was positive throughout the whole process from start to finish. I am thrilled with how my blog turned out-it’s even better than I had hoped! Heather is an expert in everything WordPress, which shows not only in how my blog looks and functions, but in the awesome SEO capability that it has. I highly recommend Heather as a blog designer!"

“Working with Heather while she built my blog was a dream! She was completely professional, answered all of my questions, and was positive throughout the whole process from start to finish. I am thrilled with how my blog turned out-it’s even better than I had hoped! Heather is an expert in everything WordPress, which shows View Full →

https://vivalaviolette.com/testimonials/jen-pogue/

Cathi Wolfram

"Heather is super talented, she took my sketches and brought my vision to life. She is professional, creative, patient and kind. I recommend her highly, a wonderful experience!"